Post-Partum Sailors now have additional time to take the PFA

BOTTOM LINE: post-partum Sailors are now exempt from participating in the physical fitness assessment (PFA) for 6 months following their maternity leave.

R 201258Z JUN 17
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC
TO NAVADMIN

NAVADMIN 141/17

SUBJ/PHYSICAL READINESS PROGRAM POLICY CHANGES//

REF/A/DOC/OPNAV/11JUL11//
REF/B/DOC/NAVPERS/APR17//

RMKS/1. This NAVADMIN outlines new policies and initiatives to the Physical Readiness Program and continues our efforts to strike a better balance between physical readiness and mission accomplishment while reducing administrative distractions.

2. The following changes are effective 1 January 2018:
a. Sailors who pass the body composition assessment (BCA), are within the Navy age-graduated body fat standards, and score an overall excellent low or better (with no single event lower than good low) on the physical readiness test (PRT) will be exempt from participation in the following PRT cycle. The first cycle for which Sailors can be exempt is cycle 2018-1, based upon performance during the cycle 2017-2 PRT. All Sailors, regardless of PRT performance, will still be required to participate in the BCA each cycle.
(1) For cycle 2018-1, Physical Readiness Information Management System (PRIMS) will allow command fitness leaders (CFL) the ability to assign a non-participation status of validated for those Sailors who earn the
incentive during cycle 2017-2.
(2) If a Sailor is validated from taking the PRT, but fails the BCA, the Sailor is required to participate in the PRT if medically cleared. b. Elliptical will no longer be authorized as an alternate cardio device beginning with cycle 2018-1 due to the low number of Sailors (4 percent) who use them during a PRT and the increasing cost to maintain PRT-compliant ellipticals. While the 1.5 mile run/walk remains the service standard, commanding officers (CO) may authorize the use of approved stationary bikes, treadmill or the swim as alternate cardio. Navy fitness facilities will
continue to provide ellipticals for training, but will now be free to modernize equipment.c. Based on data from recently completed Navy medical studies and consistent with recent changes to maternity leave policy, post-partum Sailors are now exempt from participating in the physical fitness assessment (PFA) for 6 months following their maternity leave. This change reflects an increase to the Navy maternity leave policy being increased to 84 days following the birth of a child. After completion of the 6 month period, the Sailor will then be required to participate in the following PFA cycle (i.e. if the pregnancy” status ends during cycle 1, Sailors would not be expected to participate in an official command PFA until cycle 2). Pregnant and post-partum Sailors are not required to complete a Physical Activity Risk Factor Questionnaire while in the pregnancy status. Their PFA participation status in PRIMS should be reflected as pregnant for all stages of the pregnancy and post-partum periods.